Car-coupling



(No Model.)

W} NUN'AMAKER'.

GAR (HIPUPLIBTGrr Patented May 8,1883.

I .NVEJV IT OR Attorney N. PEIERS. FhnNrLiUlogmphun Washington, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE...

WIL LIAIVLNUNAMAKER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 277,152, dated May 8,188 3,

Application filed March 10, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM N UNAMAKER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Kansas (Jity, in the county ofJackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsin Gar-Couplers, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawmgs.

My invention has relation to car-couplers, and the object is to provideadevice of this kind adapted to all the ordinary. forms of freight andpassenger cars, which will enable them to couple automatically, and atthe same time provide means for uncoupling without the undue expenditureof manual labor; and to that end the novelty consists in theconstruction of the same, as will be hereinafter more fully described,and particularly pointed out in the claims. 7

In the accompanying drawings similar let ters of reference indicate likeparts of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective elevation of a portion of one end of anordinary freight-car fitted up with my improved conplen Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section through the couplers, showing their respectivepositions when two cars are coupled. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionthrough the draw-head and coupler on a line with the coupling-pin, andFig. 4 is a rear perspective view of one of my improved couplers removedfrom the draw-head.

A is the ordinary draw-head or buffer, and is secured to the car in theusual manner.

B is my improved head, and its rear end is provided with a tongue, 0,having a slot, 0, so that the tongue may be inserted in the drawhead Aand secured in place by the pin D, which passes up through the draw-headfrom the bottom, as shown in Fig. 3. This tongue (J is providedwith aU-shaped spring, e,which holds the head B in position in the draw-head,and as the draw-heads vary considerably on the different forms of carsand on different roads, this spring adapts itself to these various formsand holds the head in a central position. The face of the head Biscurved somewhat like the letter S-that is, it is provided with twohooks, F and G, which connect with and engage the two similar hooks onthe opposite head. This formation of the with a vertical extension, M,so that it maybe op'grated either from the sides or the top of the car,as may be most convenient. This lever L passes through a guide orstaple, N, which acts as a fulcrum, so that as the lever is movedbackward or forward one end of it maybe depressed, so as to engage thedetent n with the guide m and retain the lever in that position, while,of course, when that end is raised the detent will be released and thelever will resume its normal position. This lever is provided with adepending arm, 0, to the lower end of which is attached a spiral spring,P, which in turn is secured to the side of the head B, so that as thelever L is moved the arm 0 and spring P draw the head over, so as torelease the hooks F and G, and thereby uncouple the cars.

It is a bent lever, fulcrnmed at r, and it extends upward through theguide 8 on the lever L, thence downward and terminates in an eye, 8. Tothis eye isattached a connecting-rod or pitman, S, the lower end ofwhich is socured to a locking-lever, T, attached to the side ofthe' headB. This locking-lever is provided with a flat face, t, and when thelever is in a horizontal position the free end serves to lock the headof the opposite coupler into contact with the head on which the lever Tis secured.

It will thus be seen that as the lever L is set so as the detent n isengaged with the guide m the bent lever B will be forced downwardly, soas to depress the locking-lever T and cause it to assume a verticalposition. This movement sets the lever T so as to release the oppositehead, B, and the arm 0 draws its head over so as to uncouple, as aboveset forth.

U is a plate mounted on the side of the head B, so as to have a verticalsliding motion in the recess 20, and is held in place and securedthereto by the bolt u. The forward end of this plate is provided with aseries of teeth, 01, while its rear end has a recess, c, in which isinserted the rounded end of a compound lever, V, so that if the plate bemoved up or down a corresponding motion will be communicated to thelever. This lever V is provided with a dog, L0, and to the fulcrum ofsaid lever is hinged a secondary lever, W, which extends rearward andcarries a shaft, 00, which passes through the eye of the reversedcouplin gpin D.

It will thus be seen that it the plate U be raised the free end of thelever V will be depressed, and the dog 20 on it engages with and carriesdown the secondary lever W, and its shaft w withdraws the pin D andreleases the headB from the draw-head A; but if the plate be lowered thefree end ofthe lever V is raised, and,-the dog w not coming in contactwith the lever W, the coupling-pin D is not disturbed. A leaf-spring, Y,secured to the draw-head A, serves to keep the lever W and pin D intheir normal position when they are not acted upon by. the plate Uand-lever V; but of course when they are so acted upon the springisforced down and gives way, so as to allow the lever to withdraw thepin D.

Z is a tooth on the side of the head B, and when the couplers cometogether this tooth is inserted between the teeth 4) on the oppositehead, and if the draw-head on which the plate is secured were depressedwhile the one on which the tooth Z is secured remained level, as wouldbe the case it the car on which the former was secured became derailed,the plate would be forced upward, and, as before shown, this motion ofthe plate withdraws the pin D, and consequently uncouples the cars. Aseach head is provided with the plate U and on the opposite side with thetooth Z, it will readily be seen that the same object is accomplished ifeither car leaves the track.

prevents any side motion to the heads, which would allow the release ofthe hooks.

To uncouple the cars the lever L is moved so as to engage the detent nwith the guide m. This motion, as before set forth, causes the spring Pto drawthehead in that direction, and at the same time throws thelocking-lever T into a vertical position, which permits the separationof the respective hooks. If the parts are left in this position, thecars may be pushed about without coupling; but should it be desirable tocouple them the lever L is released and allowed to assume its normalposition, and when the cars come into contact they are securely coupledwithout any further attention from the train-hands.

1 I is a slot in the headB for the insertion of a common link, which iscoupled to it by the ordinary pin inserted through the hole 2', so thatmy device may be coupled with an ordinary draw-head.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure byLetters Patent of the United States, is t 1. In a car-coupler,the head B, provided with hooks F and G, and tongue 0, slot 0, andspring 6, substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-coupler, the head B,'provided with hooks I and G andinclines J and K,substantially as set forth. 7

3. The combination, with the head B, having hooks F and G, of thelocking-lever T, transverse lever L, and the pitman S and lever R,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the head B, having tooth Z, and sliding plateU, provided with teeth 'v, of the compound levers V W, having dog andshaft or, and the pin D, substantialiy as set forth. I

5. In a car-coupler, the head B, having levers T and B and pitman S, incombination with the transverse lever B and spring P, substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof I aftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM NUNAMAKER.

lrVitnesses:

E. H. BRADFORD, H. J. Burns.

